This is the second part in a Universul.net series on a series on food waste where we look at how big a problem it is, why it happens and what can be done to reduce food ending up in the trash rather than people’s stomachs.
Romania is among the top countries with the highest food waste in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, 3.4 million tons of food were thrown away in 2023 in our country, surpassing Spain or the Netherlands.
Each Romanian throws away over 70 kilos of food annually. The European Union demands that food waste be reduced by 50% by 2030, and Romania must comply with this rule. Seven out of 10 Romanians are considering reducing the amount of food thrown away, according to surveys.
Food waste is no longer just an economic or ecological challenge, but reflects a mentality problem. Paradoxically, although food prices have risen considerably in recent years, we continue to buy more than we need and throw away food almost every day.
How many times have we thrown away half a loaf of bread, a box of forgotten yogurt in the fridge or vegetables that have gone bad before we can cook them?
Romanians throw away food products as much as 62,500 trucks can carry, annually, “which would line up in a column of 875 kilometers long, almost as long as the road distance between Constanta and Satu Mare,” Nestlé Romania warns.
Experts argue that there is a direct link between living standards and consumption behaviors: as incomes increase, the tendency to waste becomes more visible. At the same time, inherited customs, family values and cultural norms have a strong influence on the way we buy, cook and relate to food.
According to some studies, 85% of Romanians are used to buying food products several times a week or even daily.
After Christmas and Easter, about 80 percent of the waste collected by sanitation companies is food waste.
Most of the time, we go shopping hungry, without a list, attracted by offers or “more advantageous” packages, and the result is the same — full refrigerators, trash cans even fuller.
Fifty-nine percent of Romanians buy more food products if they are hungry when they go shopping. Representatives of Generation Z (18-24 years old) waste most food due to the excessive purchase of products.
Romanians throw away 6,000 tons of food every day, which is a truck with food every minute, while 4.5 million people live on the edge of poverty in our country.
In the interview with Universul.net, Camelia-Adriana Bucătariu, an international consultant in policies against food waste, helps us better understand the mechanisms behind these behaviors: why we waste even when we know how expensive food is, who is most likely to throw away food, how our culture and family habits influence us and, above all, What we can do concretely to buy only what we need.
- Universul.net: There is a paradox, that although food has become more expensive, we throw away a lot. Why?
Camelia – Adriana Bucătariu: Persistent habits (large portions), “buy more” promotions, lack of planning and misunderstanding of expiration dates; the savings perceived on the shelf becomes a loss at home.
On average, a person wastes 74 kg of food each year, which is 570 million tons. While the number is staggering, each of us can make a difference by taking small actions every day, changing wasteful habits with new sustainable behavior.
Your guide to food waste prevention – This booklet is aimed at the general public and aims to help people become aware of how their own behaviour contributes to the global problem of food waste, inform them about its negative effects and encourage them to act differently in their daily lives and in different contexts – at home, when shopping or when eating out.
- How much do mentality and habits contribute?
Significant: buying, storing, and cooking decisions explain most of the waste in households.
- The influence of cultural norms?
Yes, the preference for cooked meals “in abundance” and hospitality can increase the cooked surplus. In surveys, “overcooking” is a recurring reason.
- Do family traditions/values influence eating behaviors?
Yes, transmitted intergenerationally (patterns of buying, cooking, keeping), with a direct effect on waste.
- Who is more likely to squander?
Young people 18–34 years old, urban, high education, weaker time/planning dynamics. The elderly waste less.
- Do we buy more when we go hungry?
Yes, increased appetite leads to impulse purchases; Recommended to eat before or stick to the fixed list. (Extensive behavioral evidence; also observed in Romanian studies on shopping).
- What products do we throw away most often?
Cooked food, bread/pastry, then fruits and vegetables.
- How can you buy only what you need?
Plan meals for 3–7 days, strict list, avoid “bulk” for perishables, check the fridge/pantry before leaving, don’t go hungry.
- What can a regular consumer do?
Planning + portioning, correct storage, understanding labels (use your senses at “best before”), freeze the surplus, redistribute/donate in a timely manner.
- How many times should we go shopping per month?
Optimal: only one “big” shopping session per week + small top-ups (bread/greens) 1–2 times. Too rarely → excessive buying; too often → impulsivity (Evidence-based practical recommendation on planification/impulse).
In the following material you will find out who bears responsibility and what we can do concretely to combat food waste.
Millions of tons of food end up in the trash. Food waste – a luxury the planet can no longer afford
